How Hollywood trade journalism got small

Patrick Goldstein looks at the fierce war for scoops among publications that cover Hollywood:

Competition for an exclusive is so fierce that hardly anyone waits to announce an actual deal. Many stories are about actors and filmmakers who are circling a project, in early talks, or just taking a meeting for a part or directing deal. “Most of the journalism I read in the trades is a lot more like gossip than news,” [producer Dana] Brunetti tells me when I ask about his skirmish with [The Wrap reporter Jeff] Sneider. “It all feels out of control. It’s just so easy for information to get around because of all the new technology, but a lot of accuracy is lost along the way.”

Sneider remembers his introduction to the trades and traderush review when he moved here in 2006. “You’d read about the done deals in Variety,” he says. “But then, as the competition increased, the bar got lower. It was all about negotiations. Then it was [someone in] early talks. Then it was the offer. Now it’s the meeting.” He rolls his eyes. “People report on actors taking a meeting!”